The Ultimate Rolex Reference Number Guide

By The Watch Standard

What Is A Rolex Reference Number?

Among all the numbers and codes that come with Rolex watches, its reference number is one of the most important ones to know. A Rolex reference number can reveal plenty of information about the watch including model type, material, production period, and more. The primary purpose of a Rolex reference number is to indicate the model of the watch. In fact, the reference number is also known as the model number or style number. Therefore, the reference number will tell you if the watch is a Submariner, Datejust, Day-Date, Yacht-Master, and so on. Below is a Rolex reference numbers chart outlining the starting digits of the reference number according to model type.

Rolex Reference Number Model Chart

Model	Reference Number Starting Digits	Examples
Air-King	55-, 140-, 114-, 116-	Air-King ref. 114200 Air-King ref. 116900
Date	15-, 150-, 115-	Date ref. 1500 Date ref. 115200
Datejust 31	68-, 782-, 1782-, 2782-	Datejust ref. 17827 Datejust ref. 178240
Datejust 36	66-, 16-, 162-, 1162-, 1262-	Datejust ref. 116233 Datejust ref. 126234
Datejust II	1163-	Datejust ref. 116334
Datejust 41	1263-	Datejust ref. 126301
Day-Date 36	65-, 18-, 180-, 182-, 183-, 1182-, 1282-	Day-Date ref. 128238 Day-Date ref. 118239
Day-Date II	2182-	Day-Date ref. 218235
Day-Date 40	2282-	Day-Date ref. 228239 Day-Date ref. 228206
Daytona	62-, 165-, 1165-	Daytona ref. 16528 Daytona ref. 116500
Explorer	61-, 63-, 66-, 10-, 142-, 1142-, 2142-	Explorer ref. 14270 Explorer ref. 214270
Explorer II	165-, 2165-	Explorer II ref. 16570 Explorer II ref. 216570
Lady-Datejust	679-, 791-, 1791-, 2791-	Lady-Datejust ref. 179171 Lady-Datejust ref. 279163
Milgauss	65-, 10-, 1164-	Milgauss ref. 1019 Milgauss ref. 116400
Oyster Perpetual	176-, 177-, 116-, 114-	Oyster Perpetual ref. 114300 Oyster Perpetual ref. 116000
Sea-Dweller	16-, 166-, 1166-, 1266-	Sea-Dweller ref. 116600 Sea-Dweller ref. 126603
Submariner	55-, 140-, 1140-	Submariner ref. 14060 Submariner ref. 114060
Submariner Date	16-, 166-, 168-, 1166-	Submariner ref. 16610 Submariner ref. 116618
GMT-Master	65-, 167-	GMT-Master ref. 1675 GMT-Master ref. 16700
GMT-Master II	167-, 1167-, 1267-	GMT-Master II ref. 116718 GMT-Master II ref. 126710
Oysterquartz	170-, 190-	Oysterquartz ref. 17014 Oysterquartz ref. 19018
Yacht-Master 29	696-, 1696-	Yacht-Master ref. 69622 Yacht-Master ref. 169623
Yacht-Master 31	686-, 1686-	Yacht-Master ref. 68628 Yacht-Master ref. 168622
Yacht-Master 37	268-	Yacht-Master ref. 268621
Yacht-Master 40	166-, 1166-, 1266-	Yacht-Master ref. 126655 Yacht-Master ref. 116622
Yacht-Master 42	2266-	Yacht-Master ref. 226659
Yacht-Master II	1166-	Yacht-Master II ref. 116680
Sky-Dweller	326-	Sky-Dweller ref. 326934

Depending on the era, Rolex reference numbers can be four to six digits long. Early in Rolex’s history, reference numbers were four digits long. In the late-1970s, Rolex began switching to five-digit reference numbers and by the end of the 1980s, all reference numbers were that long. Around the 2000s, Rolex transitioned to six-digit reference numbers, often just adding a “1” to the beginning of the five-digit reference numbers. Therefore, a Rolex reference number can also tell you the approximate era a watch was made in.

Generally speaking, although there are some exceptions, the length of the Rolex reference number indicates the following:

Four-Digit Reference numbers: Vintage Rolex watch produced prior to the late-1970s
Five-Digit Reference numbers: Discontinued Rolex watch produced anywhere from the late-1970s until 1999
Six-Digit Reference: Modern Rolex watch produced anywhere from 2000 to present

Rolex Reference Numbers Indicate Case Materials and Bezel Style

While the first few digits denote the model type, the last digit in five and six-digit Rolex reference numbers (not four-digit ones) indicates the material of the watch.

Rolex Material Codes

Material Code	Material	Example
0	Stainless Steel (Also known as Oystersteel)	GMT-Master II ref. 116710
1	Two-Tone Steel & Everose Gold (Also known as Everose Rolesor)	Datejust II ref. 126331
2	Stainless Steel & Platinum (Also known as Rolesium)	Yacht-Master ref. 126622
3	Two-Tone Stainless Steel & Yellow Gold (Also known as Yellow Rolesor)	Submariner ref. 116613
4	Stainless Steel & White Gold (Also known as White Rolesor)	Datejust ref. 116264
5	18k Everose Gold (Rolex’s patented rose gold alloy)	Sky-Dweller ref. 326935
6	950 Platinum	Day-Date ref. 228206
7	14k Yellow Gold	Date ref. 15037
8	18k Yellow Gold	Daytona ref. 116508
9	18k White Gold	GMT-Master II ref. 126719

The second-to-last digit in a five or six-digit Rolex reference number can also indicate the bezel style of the watch. But this is only applicable to Rolex dress watches such as the Datejust, Date, Day-Date, and Oyster Perpetual. This does not apply to Rolex sports watches such as the Submariner, GMT-Master, Explorer, Daytona, and so on.

Most Common Rolex Bezel Codes

Code	Bezel Style	Example
0	Smooth/Domed	Datejust II ref. 116300
1	Engine-Turned	Date ref. 15210
3	Fluted	Datejust II ref. 126334
6	Turn-O-Graph	Datejust “Turn-O-Graph” ref. 116264

Finally, some Rolex reference numbers also include letters at the end. These letters are abbreviations to signify either the color of the bezel or the types of gems used in the bezel. There is one instance where the letters refer to the color of the sapphire crystal. Since most of these abbreviations are in French, we have included the translations and abbreviation meanings below.

Rolex Reference Letters Codes

Letters	Meaning & Translation	Example
LN	Lunette Noir Black Bezel	Submariner ref. 116613LN
LV	Lunette Verte Green Bezel	Submariner ref. 116610LV
LB	Lunette Bleu Blue Bezel	Submariner ref. 116618LB
CHNR	Chocolate-Noir Brown-Black	GMT Master II ref. 126715CHNR
BLNR	Bleu-Noir Blue-Black	GMT Master II ref. 126710BLNR
BLRO	Bleu-Rouge Blue-Red	GMT Master II ref. 126710BLRO
SARU	Saphirs-Rubis Sapphires-Rubies	GMT-Master II ref. 116758SARU
SANR	Sapphirs Noir Black Sapphires	GMT-Master II ref. 116759SANR
SABR	Sapphirs-Brilliants Sapphires-Diamonds	Submariner ref. 116659SABR
RBOW	Rainbow Multi-colored Sapphires	Daytona ref. 116595RBOW
GV	Glace Verte Green Crystal	Milgauss ref. 116400GV

Appreciating The Rolex Reference Number

As you can see, once you understand the Rolex reference number structure, it is easier to recognize the details of a specific watch. Rather than a random string of digits and letters, the reference number is a code that once understood, can help to reveal the model, era, material, and bezel style of a Rolex watch and even help one decide on which specific watch they would like to purchase.